One of the hosts of the “Today” show announced Friday they are set to miss several weeks so she can recover from vocal surgery. Longtime host Savannah Guthrie revealed her impending leave while explaining that she needs the surgery to correct an issue that’s bothered her for years.
“Some of you have noticed that my voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit,” Guthrie said during Friday’s episode. “Well, I have found out what it is. I have vocal nodules and I also have a polyp. It’s not a big, big deal, but I am going to have to have a surgery in the new year and be off for a couple of weeks, so this is my last day for a little while.”
Guthrie went on to joke that viewers might have thought she had “the world’s longest head cold.” Now that she knows exactly what’s causing her voice issues, Guthrie says she’s “really excited” to get the problem corrected.
“This has been going on for years honestly,” Guthrie said.
During the announcement, co-host Sheinelle Jones shared with Guthrie what to expect as she too had undergone the same surgery. Jones also gifted Guthrie with the dry-erase board that she used to communicate with her family during her recovery. As part of the recovery, Guthrie will have to remain silent for a long period of time.
“The silver lining is you have permission to be still,” Jones said. “The house gets quiet, the kids are gonna want to help you out.”
While Guthrie said the surgery will take place in the new year, it’s unclear when she will return to the program. Guthrie has been a host on “Today” since 2012.